Cup moving mechanism



28;, 193%., I M HANSEN m AL ZfiZQEfi? CUP MOVING MECHANISM Original Filed June 24, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INT/671ml;

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M. HANSEN m Q J CUP MOVING MECHANI SM 2 Sheets$heet 2 Original Filed June 24, 1932 AM limemons m 315/72 By l Patented Jan. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUP MOVING MECHANISM Morten Hansen,

Los Angeles,

and Joseph F.

Pollon, Glendale, Califi; said Pollon assignor to William G. Young, Los Angeles, Calif.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic cup moving mechanisms and has as an object the provision of means for normally supporting a pair ,of cups in stationary positions, one above the other, and 5 for automatically elevating the lower cup into the position previously occupied by the upper cup in response to removal of the upper cup.

The invention is particularly useful in connection with automatic egg brealnng machines and isdisclosed in a copending application of William G. Young, Morten Hansen and Joseph F. Pollon, Serial No. 619,100, filed June 24th, 1932, entitled Egg breaking machine, now matured into a patent, No. 1,988,030 of which this application is a division.

In the operation of an automatic egg breaking machine, despite the exercise of care in selecting eggs, defective eggs are occasionally fed. to themachine and, if the contents of all the eggs were delivered initially to large containers, one bad egg might contaminate a relatively large quantity of good egg meat. To avoid the possibility of such loss, in accordance with the present invention, we initially collect the egg meat in relatively small cups, the contents of which are in spected by an operator, and emptied into separate large containers containing good egg meat, or rejected, according to the quality of the contents of each cup. Since an automatic egg breaking 1 machine delivers egg meat almost continuously, it is necessary to immediately replace each filled cup with an empty cup as the filled cup is removed for emptying. The present invention is intended to greatly simplify the work of the operator by automatically shifting an empty cup into position to be filled as a full cup is removed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of our cup supporting and shifting mechanism, together with 4 0" a portion of an egg breaking machine, with which it may be used;

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section V of the cup supporting and moving mechanism;

Figure 3 is a fragmental front elevation view of a portion of the cup lifting and holding mechanism;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the cup supporting mechanism shown in elevation in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a horizontal detail view in the plane V-V of Figure 2, showing the arrangement of connecting links.

In the operation of the egg breaking machine shown in Figure 1, eggs are periodically broken and opened and the egg contents collected in a tiltable white and yolk separating receptacle 4,

comprising a yolk cup 2 having a separable rim 3. The machine is so timed that following the discharge of the white and yolk of an egg into a receptacle 4 the rim 3 is lifted clear of the yolk cup 2 to permit the egg white to drain into a cup 20 positioned thereunder. The rim 3 is then returned to normal position against the yolk cup 2 and the entire receptacle 4 tilted, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, to discharge the yolk into another cup 2|.

Since in normal operation the egg breaking mechanism runs continually, it is necessary that the filled cups 20 and 2i, as they are removed, be replaced immediately with empty cups. To-this end, auxiliary cups 20a and 2Ia are provided immediately under the cups 20 and M and the following mechanism is provided for moving and retaining these cups in desired position,

To support each cup, a pair of pillars I42 extend upwardly from the frame I and are provided at their upper ends with pivoted dogs I43. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, there are two dogs I43 pivoted to each pillar I42 by pivot pins I44. The inner ends of the dogs extend inwardly to engage the rim I45 of the cup. To prevent downward rotation of the inner ends of the dogs I43, each dog is provided with a pin I45 which engages with its supporting pillar I42.

The lowermost cups 20a and Ma are positioned immediately below the upper cups 20 and ZI respectively and rest in nests I41, which normally lie upon the frame I but are secured to the upper ends of columns I48 (Figure 3) which pass down through bushings I49 in the frame I. When the upper cup 20 is removed, the lower cup 20a is elevated into the position formerly occupied by the removed cup by a mechanism that can be most readily described by explaining its operation.

One of the pillars I42 associated with each cup is made hollow and contains therewithin a shaft I50 (Figures 2 and 3) Shaft I50 has secured thereto an arm I5I which extends through a slot I52 in thepillar I42 out in front of the upper cup, this arm being preferably curved as shown in Figure l. When the upper cup is filled, the operator removes it by pulling it straight forwardly off the dogs I43. This moves the arm I5I forwardlyand rotates the shaft I50. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the rotation of shaft I50 rotates a crank I53 secured on the lower end thereof below the end of pillar I42, and, through a link I54, shifts a lock plate I55 forwardly (from the position shown in dotted lines into the position shown in full lines, in Figure 2). This lock by means of pair of bolts I56 which are secured to frame I and engage with a horizontal slot I51 in plate I55. j

Pivoted to the frame I by a pivot I59 at a point below thelock plate I55 is a lever I 58. The rear end of lever I58 carries a plate I60, which is pivoted thereto by a pivot I6I. Plate I60 coinprises a rearwardly projecting arm I62 and a forwardly projecting arm I63. The forwardly projecting arm I63 normally contacts with the lower edge of a projection I64 on lock plate I155,

which maintains the rearwardl'y' projecting arm I62 just out of engagement with a roller I65 pivotally mounted on the end of a crank I66 on a shaft I68. Shaft I6! is constantly driven in a counterclockwise direction through a pulley I68 and belt I69 from a pulley I16 on a driving shaft I3. The forward end of lever arm I58 contains a slot Ill which engages with a pin I72 in'the lower end of the shaft I48, this lower end of shaft I46 being bifurcated as shown in Figure 3 to receive lever arm I58. A restoring armI I3 is secured to lever arm I58 for a purpose to be described. 7

I Assuming that the "mechanism is in normal position, the removal of the upper cup 2| by the operator moves the arm I5I forwardly, rotating shaft I and crank I53 as described and shifting the lock plate I forwardly through link I54. The apparatus is then in the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, and it will be observed that the forward movement of the lock plate I55 has moved the lower projecting portion I64 of this plate but of engagement with the forwardly projecting arm I63 on plate I60. This permits the plate I to rotate inclockwise direction about its pivot I 6| so that the rearwardly projecting arm I 62 is moved into the path of, roller i' mounted on the. end of the constantly revolving crank I66. Therefore,.on its next revolution, the

roller I65 engages with the upper side of arm I62 andforces that arm down into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. The clockwise rotation of the plate I60 with respect to the lever arm I 58 is limited by a pin I'I4 which engages with the under side of. lever arm I 58. Therefore, when the plate I60 is carried downwardly from the revolution of roller i65, the rear end of lever arm I58 is moved downwardly with member 7 I60 and the forward end of lever I58 is swung upwardly into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. f This upward movement of the forward end of the lever I58 carries the shaft I48 upwardly therewithjtvhich lifts the tray I41 and descends; shaft I48 descends byits own weight when the rearwardly projecting arm I62 on mem ber i60is released by continued movement of the revolving roller I65. 'When the forward end of lever arm I58,moved upwardly intc'its upper-'- most position, the projecting arm E13 engaged with the forward end of member I 55 and restored the latter to its normal position shown in dotted V V I 6,029,167 plate I55 is slidably mounted upon the frame I lines in FigureZ. Therefore, when the arm I 62 isreleased by roller I65 and moves upwardly, the projection I63 on plate' I60 engages with the projection I64 on member I55, causing plate I66 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 'I 6i until arm I62 is clear of the path of the roller I65, Rearward movement of plate I55 also rotates the shaft I50, through the link I54 V and crank I53, into normal position in which the is again removed, this cup will be moved into 20 position to be filled.

-We claim: 1."In,a machine of the type described, a cup, means for supporting said cup in a predetermined position, a second cup, second means for 'inde- 2 pendently supporting said second cup directly below saidhfirst cup, and means actuated in re- 7 'sponse to removal of said first cup from said predetermined position for lifting said second cup vertically into said predetermined position and 39; into supported relation with said first supporting,

means. V

In a machine of the type described, a cup, a second cup, each of said cups having an outwardly extending flange, means supporting said 35: first .cup in a predetermined position comprising elements positioned to engagewith the flange on said cup, and thereby support it, said elements beingmovable to permit the flangeof a cup to rise upwardly therepast but looking to prevent 4 downward movement of said cup, means for sup-' porting said second cup below said firstcup, and means actuated in response to removal of said first. cup from said flange-engaging elements for lifting said second cup up past said flange-en- 45,: gaging elements whereby. said second cup is left supported on saidelements... l V 3. In a machine of the type described, acup having an outwardly'extending flangev thereon,

means for supporting said cup in a predetermined position comprising elements positioned to engagewith the flange on saidcup, said elements being movable to permit the flangeof a cup to rise upwardlytherepast, a second cup also havingv an outwardly extending flange, means for supporting 55 said second cup below said first cup, an arm normally extending in front of saidfirstcup, cuplifting, means actuated by forward movement of said arm for lifting said second cup into engagee 1 ment with'said supporting elements, and'rneans 6o..-

actuated by said cup-lifting mechanism for re-i storing said arm to. normal position in .frontof said second 'cup. l f;: r i l 4. A device as described in claim ,3, in which the means for lifting said second oup comprises 65,

a tray upon which'said cup rests freely; 1

T 5 olnar: IEANSEN. a

q 1JosEBHn. POLLON. r 

